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A Guide to Successful
Tenancy . . .
64
Disclaimer
This publication is a simplified guide to
Queensland’s tenancy law. It is not a comprehensive Hot Water Door Window
statement of law. You are encouraged to obtain
assistance if you are unsure how these laws apply to
your situation.
Section 1
⇒ Tenancy Advice & Advocacy Key Information for Finding a place to rent
Service (TAAS) Logan 38261598 When you first arrive………………………………………...7
Renting from Interlink………………………………………..8
Renting in Queensland—the Laws for renting…………….9
Renting in Queensland- Rights & Responsibilities…......10
⇒ Tenancy Advice & Advocacy Where to find a new property to rent…………………… .11
Service (TAAS) Gold Coast Applying for a new property to rent……………………….12
Two service locations: Section 2
Southport 5591 1102 Key Information for Successful Renting
Beginning a tenancy…………………………………… 15-17
Paying rent……………………………………………… 18-19
Palm Beach 5598 3230 Repairs and maintenance……………………………...20-25
Looking after your home inside and out…………… ..26-34
⇒ Tenants Union Queensland (TUQ) Property inspections……………………………………35-37
Outside Brisbane 1800 177 761 Problems you could have during a tenancy………… 38-40
Mail & correspondence……………………………….. 41-42
Brisbane area 3257 1108
Section 3
Other tips for renting and living in a house in Australia
⇒ Translating & Interpreting Safety in the house…………………………………….. 44-46
Services (TIS) 131 450 Household Bills…………..………………………………….48
Water restrictions are important ….……………………….49
⇒ Residential Tenancies Authority 1300 366 311 Section 4
Important words to understand
At the start of the tenancy………………………………52-52
During the tenancy………………………………………53-54
If you are having problems with a tenancy……………….55
At the end of a tenancy……………………………………..56
62 Other important things to know…………………………….573
Important organizations to know……………………….59-62
Important Organisations to know . . .
Acknowledgements How to contact them (Logan/Gold Coast)
Organisation (MFO)
4 61
Continued: Important Organisations to know... Team
What they Do…… The team included people from diverse cultural
backgrounds who offered unique skills that
enriched the creation of ‘The Key to Your Door:
Translation and Interpreting Service (TIS) A Guide to Successful Tenancy.’
Service to help tenants understand information in
their own language Team members included:
⇒ Sylvia Vallender—Graphics
60 5
Important Organisations to know . . .
What they Do . . .
Interlink Centrepay
Housing & Money you agree to be taken from your Centrelink
Tenant Support payment to pay for household bills (example: rent,
telephone, electricity)
8 57
Renting in Queensland
Continued: Important words to
understand . . . The Laws for Renting . . .
⇒ at the end of a tenancy Whether you are renting from Interlink, from other
public housing or privately, there is a law in
Refund of Rental Bond (Form 4) Queensland about renting.
A form to claim back bond at the end of your
tenancy This law sets out what lessors and tenants can and
can’t do when renting.
Notice to Leave (Form 12)
A tenant receives this form if they have breached their Below are some of the words you will hear or see when
Tenancy Agreement and NOT fixed the problem in the you are renting or when you read this book .
seven days—after they received a Notice to Remedy
Breach (Form 11) The Residential Tenancies Act 1994
This is the law that sets out the rules for
Notice of Intention to Leave (Form 13) renting in Queensland:
A form to say the tenant intends to leave the property
they are renting. Agent
Someone who looks after a property for a
⇒Fixed Term Agreement—the tenant must give 2 lessor/owner
weeks notice, 2 weeks prior to the expiry date of the
agreement Real Estate Agent
⇒Periodic Agreement—the tenant must give 2 weeks Manages a property for the lessor/owner
notice anytime
Tenant
Exit Condition Report (Form 14a) A person who is paying rent to legally live in a house or unit
A form which the tenant fills out at the end of the
tenancy which shows the condition of the place when Tenancy
they leave; to record whether items in the property are When you have signed a tenancy agreement and are
clean, working, undamaged (example: stove). This paying rent for your home, you have a tenancy. A tenancy
form is compared with the Entry Condition Report. has a beginning and an end .
Mail & Correspondence ⇒ Work out how much you can afford to
Letters received in the mail pay on rent
⇒ Ask the Real Estate Agent for their property
listing
⇒ Look at the property from the street
⇒ See if you like the neighbourhood that the
property is in
⇒ during a tenancy
Rent
Money paid regularly to live in a property that the
tenant does not own
⇒ Name Maintenance
⇒ Current address Looking after something regularly (example: mowing the
⇒ Previous rental address lawns or vacuuming the carpets regularly)
⇒ Contact details
⇒ How many people will be renting property (names/
ages) Repairs
⇒ Employment/income details Fixing something that is broken
⇒ 100 credit points of identification ( e.g. Medicare card)
⇒ Centrelink card, passport, electricity bill with your name Notice of Lessor’s Intention to Sell Premises
on it) (Form 10)
⇒ Pet’s names and how old A form to let the tenant know the lessor/agent
⇒ Reference—for example: a letter from a previous intends to sell the property they are renting
lessor/agent saying if you followed the rules of
your Tenancy Agreement (e.g. if you paid your rent on
time)
Bond Loan
Money borrowed from Department of Housing to pay for
Rental Bond. This money MUST be paid back
Do you know if you are allowed pets? ⇒ Logan City Council— 3412 3412
Entry Condition Report (Form 1a) ⇒ Brisbane City Council— 3403 8888
This is a form the tenant completes at the beginning of the ⇒ Gold Coast City Council— 5582 8211
tenancy to record whether items in the property are clean,
working, undamaged (example: stove)
IF YOU BREACH THE WATER RESTRICTIONS
If you don't understand the items on the form, ask a friend or YOU CAN BE FINED A SUM OF MONEY
support worker to help you fill it out
Good Tips for Tenants:
Take photos of any damage to the property before you Good Tips for Tenants:
move in—this form and photos can be important DO NOT leave the tap running when you are
evidence if you and the lessor disagree about getting 16 not using it 49
your bond back at the end of your tenancy
Beginning a tenancy
Household Bills
Connections…
Logan & Gold Coast Areas
Electricity Ph: 1300 308 624 2) NEVER SIGN ANYTHING UNLESS YOU
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE
SIGNING
0-6 months— Interlink will pay for your
electricity/gas connection or security deposit fee
6 months onwards— you will need to pay for your 3) KEEP A COPY OF EVERYTHING
telephone, electricity/gas connection or security
YOU SIGN IN A SAFE PLACE
deposit fee
Methods of payment:
⇒ Brisbane Council— 3403 8888
⇒ Rent Card (from the lessor/agent)
Maintenance (taking care of the property) Safety Tips: (X= NO) (√ = YES)
The lessor/agent is responsible for :
DO NOT use electrical appliances
⇒ making sure the ⇒
near water (example: hair dryer) X
premises are fit to live in when the tenant moves in
⇒ making sure everything is working and livable on the
property during the tenancy ⇒ DO NOT put metal utensils into
toaster X
⇒ DO NOT leave burning candles
unattended X
DO NOT put blankets or clothes
The tenant is responsible for :
⇒
NEAR or ON heater X
⇒ keeping the property clean and in the condition it was
DO NOT sit close to the heater
when they first moved in ⇒
X
Repairs ⇒ DO NOT plug power cord into power
point when ON X
If there are any damages to the property the tenant should re-
port them immediately to the lessor. There are some damages
the lessor must repair and pay for. There are other damages ⇒ Turn heater OFF when leaving room √
which the tenant may have to pay for. Make sure you know
who to contact in case of emergency repairs .
Turn heater off when NOT using
⇒
√
⇒ Blow candles out before leaving the
Room √
Good Tips for Tenants:
Report Repairs Immediately! If you try to fix things ⇒ Light gas with a gas lighter √
yourself you may damage them more—you will then
have to pay for those damages
20 45
Continued: Repairs & Maintenance . . .
Safety in the House . . .
Where?
in Australia ...
* Interlink (0—6 months)
⇒ Safety in the house
* lessor/agent ( after 6 months)
* Community leader (always) ⇒ Household bills
* BCA (always)
* Acces Services Inc. (always)
* Multicultural Families Organisation (MFO) ⇒ Water restrictions
(always)
*Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) (always) Please note: The information in this
*Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service (always) section is NOT tenancy law but is
provided to help tenants understand
some important points about living in a house in
Good Tips for Tenants:
The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) uses a free
Australia.
interpreter service. If you need to call the RTA, ring the
Translating and Interpreter Service (131 450 ) and ask to
be connected to the RTA in Queensland 22 43
Continued: Mail & Correspondence Continued: Repairs and maintenance . . .
⇒Centrelink
When renting from Interlink there is a PROCESS for repairs
and maintenance.
You could receive letters from Interlink ... Step 1: Tenant reports repairs & maintenance to Interlink
About:
Step 2: Interlink reports repairs & maintenance to the
⇒Your lease Agent (Interlink is ONLY responsible for fixing tenant
⇒Your rent damage)
⇒Disrupting the neighbourhood
⇒Keeping your home clean and tidy Step 3: Agent reports repairs & maintenance to the lessor
(Agents are responsible for fixing everything else)
⇒ Shower rose falls down ⇒
⇒ Case Worker (always)
⇒ MFO (always)
⇒ Acces Services Inc.
Broken Element
If you receive a Notice to Leave (Form 12) or Notice to Remedy
Beach (Form 11) and you disagree with the lessor about the
problem, you can contact the RTA and apply for Dispute
Resolution Blocked toilet/
toilet doesn’t flush
You . . .
⇒ are late in paying your rent
⇒ have not mowed the lawn and the grass is very high
The Lessor . . .
YES
Chair
Good Tips for Tenants:
NO
Wash and change bed sheets and pillow cases every
week 28 37
⇒
Looking After your property inside and
Who to let in; Who NOT TO LET IN for a
property inspection? out . .Kitchen..
Do Let In...
Always CHECK...
Cleaning and maintenance tips . . .
1. Who is written on Entry Notice (Form 9) to do ⇒ Try to keep your kitchen clean and tidy
property inspection? everyday
⇒ Wash and put things away when you have used them
2. Where the person is from? ⇒ Wash walls from the bottom to the top
⇒ Sweep and mop the floor regularly so stains don't set in
⇒ Mop tile floors with a product recommended for cleaning
tiles (DO NOT use a product on tiles that is recommended
for cleaning wooden floors)
stove refrigerator
WHAT WILL IT SAY?
⇒ Date of inspection
baking tray
⇒ Who will be doing the inspection
toaster
cooking pot ⇒ Where the person comes from
electric jug
Wheelie Bin…
Flowers